[MTVN]

At the time I think the 99 year lease was symbolic really and a way of allowing China's rulers to save face, back then it wasn't thought that Hong Kong would actually return to China after that time but obviously the UK and China were very different countries in the 1980s than they were in 1890s

Not sure why its considered colonial of the UK to defend Gibraltar's British status given the strength of feeling there that they want to remain British. There is next to zero will in Gibraltar to return to Spanish rule despite the Brexit vote and surely Spain is the one with colonial pretensions in trying to claim the land